


Hold My Hand (One Last Time)

by somethingscarlet13



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Bedside Hand-Holding, Car Accidents, Character Death, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Death, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, Feels, Goodbyes, Holding Hands, Hospitalization, Hospitals, M/M, Married Couple, Tears, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 23:05:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17948891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethingscarlet13/pseuds/somethingscarlet13
Summary: After a car accident, Stephen has to make the hardest decision of his life.





	Hold My Hand (One Last Time)

Stephen shook his head. “No.”

Then he said it again, more forcefully. “ _No_.”

“Sir, we’re sorry, but—“

“There’s nothing more you can do for him, I _know_.” Stephen snapped. He felt like his entire world was crumbling and there was no footing, nothing to land or hold on to.

One minute he and Tony were driving home from getting groceries, singing along to the songs on the radio, and the next a car came out of nowhere and now.........now Tony had a bunch of beeping machines breathing for him.

“Did you know we’ve been married for four years?” He didn’t know why he was spilling his guts to this random doctor he didn’t know with a shaking voice, and it’s not as if they wouldn’t know about their marriage. It had been a huge event, something many people and the media still occasionally talked about.

“He wanted to marry me sooner but I said we should wait.” He was crying now, each word cracked with heartbreak. “I didn’t want to rush into things, but I should have. I should have proposed to him the moment I met him because— _because four years is not enough_!” He covered his mouth with one hand and sobbed harder.

What made this whole thing worse, as if that was even somehow possible, was the fact that he was a doctor. He was a doctor and yet he was absolutely powerless to do anything, to save the love of his life.

His damn hands. He would cut them off right here and now if he could. It’s not as if they had any real use.

“Sir, I really am so sorry for your loss. Tony Stark is a great man with a brilliant mind and I can’t believe that this is at all an easy choice. It never is for loved ones, but he has been declared brain dead and—“

“I was a doctor. I know about all this.”

“R-right. I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone to think it over.” And with that they left.

Stephen took the seat next to Tony’s hospital bed, the spot he hadn’t left for hours and might never leave again.

As a doctor, he knew that, logically, he should pull the plug. That that’s what made the most sense. But the part of him that loved tony, would forever love Tony, was hoping against hope that his husband would open his eyes and smile at him and then everything would be ok.

But that would be cruel. To both himself and to Tony.

In the end, he signed the papers, signature wobbly and splotted with tears.

He crawled into the hospital bed beside Tony as the doctors began the slow process of shutting off the machines. He took Tony’s hand in his own, entwining their fingers like they always did, and holding Tony close.

“I know it took me a long time to agree to marry you, but it wasn’t because I didn’t love you. I love you so much, I will always love you this much. I didn’t say yes because I was scared of this.” The tears were back again, and they flowed down Stephen’s face and onto Tony’s.

“I was scared of this, right here. Of losing you. Of having to live the rest of my life without you.” He buried his face against Tony’s cheek. “How the hell am I supposed to live without you?” He asked softly.

The only reply he got was the steady sound of the heart monitor flatlining.

The doctors left Stephen alone, hugging Tony’s body to him and crying hard, but quietly.

Hours passed, but Stephen wouldn’t leave.

“Sir, please, we need this room for other patients.”

Stephen, still holding hands with Tony with one hand and the other around his middle, shook his head. “I can’t......I can’t leave him.”

“Sir......”

“I can’t leave him. I........I can’t. He’ll get lonely. Please......”

The doctor left again.

In the end, Wong was called. By then, Stephen had fallen asleep. Wong wanted to leave his friend like that, let him stay in the world without pain for a little while longer.

“Stephen.” He gently shook the sorcerers shoulder. “Come on Stephen, we’ve gotta go.”

Stephen opened his eyes and looked at Wong in such a way that it broke his heart.

“He’s gone, Wong.”

“I know.”

“He’s really gone.”

Wong sighed and squeezed Stephen’s shoulder. “I know. I’m so, so sorry my friend.”

Stephen didn’t put up a fight to leave. That hurt Wong more than anything else. The fact that Stephen had no more fight in him, was just giving up, was something Wong knew he would never forget.

Stephen got out of the bed and pressed one final kiss to Tony’s temple before letting Wong lead him out.

They drove home in silence, and Wong decided to stay the night with Stephen to keep an eye on him.

And, back in the hospital bed, Tony’s palm was still cupped, fingers still spread evenly apart, still holding Stephen’s hand.


End file.
